Ingredients
- 30-40 medium pickling cucumbers
- 4 cups vinegar
- 3 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- fresh dill
- alum
- 1 garlic, bulb whole cloves and some chopped
- 3⁄4 cup kosher salt or 3⁄4 cup sea salt
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons peppercorns
- red dried hot chili peppers
- 1 tablespoon pickling spices
- optional
- crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
- Clean cucumbers in cold water. Place water, vinegar, sugar, salt in large pot.
- Place sprigs of dill (stems and all) and pickling spices in cheesecloth. Knot the cheesecloth and place in pot with the rest of ingredients.
- Bring to a boil to make a brine solution. Place a few peppercorns, few garlic cloves or chopped garlic, 1/8 teaspoons Alum, a couple dried whole chili peppers in each empty canning jar that is going to be used. If you desire hotter pickles, add optional 1 - 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes to each jar.
- Then place pickles in jar and fill with brine solution. Wipe rims of jars with clean cloth, place lids and screw on bands fingertip-tight. Process for 8 minutes in water bath.
- Remove to cloth-protected counter and let rest undisturbed for 24 hours to cool. Pickles are ready to eat in about 2 weeks. Enjoy!